Documents Tagged agriculture in All Sections

This guide for farmers and agricultural communities on the economic benefits of investment in renewable energy includes maps showing both existing renewable energy facilities and potential for development of renewable resources.

Vanishing BeesHoney bees are disappearing across the country, putting $15 billion worth of fruits, nuts and vegetables at riskNews

Without bees to pollinate many of our favorite fruits and vegetables, the United States could lose $15 billion worth of crops -- not to mention what it would do to your diet. Colony collapse disorder is decimating honey bee colonies across the nation, yet the U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to aggressively address the problem.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major public health crisis, leading to infections that are difficult to treat and sometimes impossible to cure, require longer and more expensive hospital stays, and are more likely to be fatal. At the same time, the development of new antibiotics has slowed to a trickle. In some cases, there are now few or no antibiotics that work to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections. Meanwhile, scientific studies have shown that consumers are exposed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria on their meat and other food. While improper use of antibiotics in the health care sector is a problem, organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) recognize that the "overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food animals" is a major source of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Curbing inappropriate use of antibiotics is key to maintaining their effectiveness in humans and slowing the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Get document in pdf.

Irrigated agriculture is important to California, and draws upon roughly 80 percent of the state's developed water supplies. The industry produces diverse and important commodities, and employs thousands of people across a broad swath of the state. In recognition of its importance, the Agricultural Water Management Planning Act requires large irrigation districts to create comprehensive plans for their water futures.